BASEBALL; House Invites 7 Players To Drug-Policy Hearing

By JACK CURRY; Murray Chass contributed reporting from Tampa, Fla., for this article, and Pat Borzi from Port St. Lucie, Fla.

Published: March 4, 2005

As Major League Baseball's new drug-testing policy went into effect at spring training camps yesterday, the most interesting wrinkle of the day regarding steroids occurred in Washington.

Two congressmen announced that a hearing on the drug policy would take place March 17. Among the seven current or former players who have been invited to testify at the hearing are the Yankees' Jason Giambi, and Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco, Giambi's former teammates with the Oakland Athletics. Canseco has admitted to using steroids and has said he had injected Giambi and McGwire.

Representatives Tom Davis, a Virginia Republican who is chairman of the House Government Reform Committee, and Henry A. Waxman, a California Democrat who is the ranking minority member, said the hearing would focus on how baseball will enforce its new policy and how it will deal with steroid use by players.

Davis said the hearing was a sound idea because ''there's a cloud over baseball'' and a public discussion of the issues with players and executives speaking under oath ''can provide a glimpse of sunlight.'' Davis also cited the importance of stressing to children the health risks associated with steroids.

''We can help kids understand that steroids aren't cool,'' he said.

In addition to Giambi, McGwire and Canseco, four other current players have been invited: Sammy Sosa and Rafael Palmeiro of the Baltimore Orioles, Curt Schilling of the Boston Red Sox and Frank Thomas of the Chicago White Sox. The players have been invited, not subpoenaed, so they can decline.

It was not immediately clear if the players would accept the invitations or what the ramifications would be if they did not. Giambi left Legends Field in Tampa, Fla., before the announcement was made. He and his agent, Arn Tellem, were unavailable for comment.

According to The San Francisco Chronicle, Giambi told a federal grand jury investigating the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative case in December 2003 that he had taken steroids. Giambi has since apologized, but he has never used the word steroids.

Schilling said he would talk to the union before deciding if he would attend. ''We'll see what happens,'' he told The Associated Press. ''I have no idea what it's about.''

It is up to the committee to decide whether those who appear should be sworn in. If they testify under oath, as Davis indicated they would, they can be held in contempt of Congress if they are not truthful. In addition to the players, the baseball executives who have been invited are Commissioner Bud Selig; Donald Fehr, the executive director of the union; Sandy Alderson, baseball's executive vice president and the former general manager of the A's; and Kevin Towers, general manager of the San Diego Padres, who told ESPN.com this week that he was aware of steroid use but did nothing about it.

The owners and the union reopened the collective bargaining agreement and toughened the drug-testing policy for the 2005 season. A player who tests positive for steroids will be suspended for 10 days. Under the old agreement, a player who tested positive would receive counseling and would not be identified.

The Mets' Tom Glavine, who was the National League's player representative when the agreement was reached in 2002, has said he thought the drug-testing elements would need to be continually monitored. But he was not in favor of a congressional hearing on the topic.

''Everybody's been pushing for us to do something and have a stronger program,'' Glavine said. ''We listened, and we did. To me, we've addressed it. It's time to let the policy do its thing. We're beating a dead horse, and the more we beat it, the more everybody is going to talk about it, and the less they're going to talk about what's going on with the players and what's going on with the game, and that's not good.''

According to The A.P., some Florida Marlins were tested yesterday. The unannounced tests will continue all season.

''Steroid use in America is a significant problem,'' Waxman said. ''I believe this hearing will help us learn more about how pervasive it is, steps Major League Baseball has taken to bring it under control, and any additional steps that may be necessary.''